By Misty Enos, R.N., C.P.T.C.
Did
you know that more than 117,000 people across the United States are waiting for
an organ transplant? Eight thousand of those
individuals are here in Pennsylvania. Eighteen people will die each day without receiving one. And one organ, tissue and cornea donor can help up to 50 transplant
patients.
Those
are sobering statistics. Unfortunately,
the number of people in need of transplants far exceeds the number of organ,
tissue and corneas that are donated.
At
the Center for Organ Recovery & Education
or CORE, one of the primary goals is to educate people on the need to make A Pledge
for Life and become an organ, tissue and cornea donor. CORE also works
closely with donor families and doctors across our area to coordinate the
recovery of organs, tissues and corneas for transplantation. CORE then handles the matching process – finding
the right tissues and organs for those in need of a transplant. With headquarters
in Pittsburgh and an office in Charleston, W.Va., CORE oversees a
region that encompasses 155 hospitals and almost six million people throughout
western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, N.Y.
Consider
this:
- Anyone can be a potential donor
regardless of age, race or medical history.
- All major religions in the
United States support organ, tissue and cornea donation and see it as the
final act of love and generosity toward others.
April
is National Donate Life Month, and throughout the month, CORE is encouraging
individuals to make A Pledge for Life and register to become an organ, tissue
and cornea donor.
Look
for the “Organ Donor” designation when you receive or renew your driver’s
license. You can also go online to www.donatelife-pa.org to sign up to become a donor. Show your support by adding your organ donor
designation to your Facebook timeline. Registering
to become a donor only takes about 90 seconds, but it can make the difference
of a lifetime.
For
more information about CORE and to learn how you can get involved, visit www.core.org.
Misty Enos is the associate director of Community Outreach for the Center for Organ Recovery & Education, one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations in the United States. CORE talks with families about the opportunity to donate and coordinates the surgical recovery of organs, tissue and corneas, as well as the computerized matching of donated organs and placement of corneas.
